Reflector sign



Oct. l5, 1929. 1 SCHAUDER 1,732,068

REFLECTOR SIGN Filed oct. 22, 1928 INVENTOR O @Y 65a ATTORNEY WITNESS:

Patented Oct. 15, 1929 PATENT; OFFICE Josmm'v scnaunaa, or BROOKLYN, NEW Yonx BEFLECTOB SIGN Application med october 22, 192s. serial No. 314,2a9.

- by daylight duringldaytime and by artificial in the appended claims,

light means at n t to enable the sign to be displayed at all times. It will be appreciated that the present construction of reflector signs are only applicable for use in daylight whichrenders them useless at night with the result that an advertiser does not derive the maxi mum amount of display.

'l Another object of the invention is to provide anartificial light attachment for the present construction of daylight reflector signs which includes an electric light housing adapted to be c-empactly folded against the back of the sign during daytime so as not to interfere with the reflection of sunlight onto the sign, and which may be readily swung to a position to reflect the rays of an electric light thereon during a night display of the sign. c

t,With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in certain novel construction and combination and arrangement of parts, the essential features of which are hereinafter fully described, are particularly pointed out .and are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1`is a perspective view of my improved reflector sign with the artificial light housing in operative position.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal view therethrough.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 showing the artificial light housing ina folded inoperative position in dotted lines. y

Figure 4 is a detail vertical sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters, the numeral 10 designates adaylight reflectorsign of the ordinary well-known construction which includes an elongated casing 11 open at its front and closed at its ends, while an opaque sign plate 12 is mounted in the top thereof. The plate 12 is of glass and has the sign characters thereon which are sectional transparent or translucent and may be of any desired colors for reflection by light rays onto a mirror 13 mounted in the casing at an approximateangle of 45, whereupon the reflected transparent sign indicia from the sign plate 12 may be visibly seen by looking into 55 the open front of the casing. These signs have proven popular for daylight display but at night they have proven useless for lack of the necessary light to effect reflection. My attachment for night reflection will now be eX- plained.

My improved attachment comprises a lightproof` housing 14 which embodies top and bottom frames 15 and 16 which are foldable toward each other and connected by hingedly connected links 17, which links when extended serve as braces for supporting the frames in spaced relation. The frame 16 is open and is of a size to snugly fit the top of the casing 11, while the top frame 15 is smaller in width 70 but of the same length to ca-use the light-proof flexible covering 18 which is connected to the two frames to assume a pyramidal shape in cross section. The light proof covering 18 maybe leather or other similar flexible material to prevent the outward penetration of light from electric lanips 19 carried by electric sockets 20 depending from the top of the light housing. The top of the light housing has a mirror or other reflecting element 21 80 mounted therein while conical reflectors 22 supported by the sockets-20 coact with the mirror to throw the rays of the electric lamps downward onto the top of the daylight sign.

The housing 14 is movable to a position 85 behind the casingv 11 by providing the vertical tracks 23 rearward of the casing and which are closed at opposite ends with the top endsof the tracks extending above the top of the casing. The sides of the bottom frame 16 are provided with outwardly projecting pins 24 which enter the slots to slidably connect the light housing to the sign casing.

In the drawing, the light housing is shown in full lines as in an operative position over the top of the sign casing where it is held by spring catches 25. To move the sameto aninoperative position, the catches are released and the housing swung backward for a distance of ninety degrees vand then slid 109 downvvad to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 3. The rule'ljoints between the hinged links 17 are broken-so that the vtop frame 15 may be collapsed to a compact position against the bottom frame 16. To move the collapsible light housing to an operative position the procedure is opposite to that just described.

The sign is rigidly mounted in brackets 26 to support the top ofthe casing on a substantially horizontal plane.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that I have constructed an attachment by which artificial light may be reflected onto a reflector sign for visibly displaying the sign indicia at night, and which attachment may be moved to a position to allow the sign to function as a daylight sign when conditions demand. f

While I have described what I deem to be v the'most desirable embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that many of they details may be varied Withoutin any Way departing from t-he spirit of my invention, and I therefore do not limit myself to the exact details of construction herein set forth nor to anything l'ess than the Whole ofl my invention limited only by the appended claims- What is claimed as new is 1. A reiiector sign comprising Va casing, an opaque sign plate having transparent indicia thereon7 a mirror arranged Within said casing atan angle with respect to said opaque sign plate, a collapsible housing supported upon the top of said casing, and light producing means Within said housing for illuminating the sameto reflect the transparent indicia from said plate onto said mirror, and means for mounting said housing uponsaid casing to facilitate the movement of the same vto a position behind said casing and clear of the ltop for permitting natural light to reflect the sign indicia on said mirror.

v 2.; In combination with a daylight reflecting sign including acasing, an opaque sign plate having transparent indicia thereon, a

mirror arranged Within said casing at anv angle with respect to said opaque sign plate, vertical tracks at the rear of the side Walls of said casing, a collapsible housing slidably mounted in said tracks for movement to an operative position over the top of said` casing or to an inoperative position behind said casinflv foldahle means for holding said collapsible housing in set-up condition when in operative position, locking means for holding said housing in an operative position, and artificial light producing means Within said housing for illuminating the same to reflect the transparent indicia from said plate onto said mirror when said housing is in operative position thereaboveiy In testimony whereof I have affixed my signaturen JOSEPH SCHAUDER. 

